Feathers Fluff and Everything Tuff
by Violet JC
Summary: Seventeen years have passed since Max was betrayed by Fang.Left all alone she flies around aimlessly before crash landing in somebodys back yard.She has sworn Never to let her heart be so vulnerable again. FULL SUMMERY IN SIDE TwilightXMaximum Ride
1. Of Cookies and Doorbells

Feathers, Fluff and Everything Tuff

Summary: Seventeen years have passed since Max was betrayed by Fang. Left all alone she flies around aimlessly before crash landing in somebody's back yard. She has sworn Never to let her heart be so vulnerable again. But when a member of the Flock appears will she be able to keep such a promise? Or has she already broken it? And will the Voice, after all these years, start talking again?

**A/N Oh woe, why is it so? I do not own Twilight or Maximum Ride!**

Chapter One  **Of Cookies and Doorbells **

I stepped into my house. Even after all these years it still astounded me that I- Maximum Ride- had a House. It was mine, and mine alone. No one else lived here. Years ago the chief of police did. But after his daughter left he couldn't stand it in Forks. Not for long at least.

Seventeen years ago when I came to Forks the guy still lived here, he had promised me this house. And so when I turned eighteen, Charlie Swan, left. I never met his daughter, Bella. Though, he had left a picture of her for me, in case she ever came back. But I knew she wouldn't.

When I came to Washington it was by complete accident. Fang betrayed me, and the Flock had disappeared. It was sufficient to say that I wasn't thinking straight. I allowed myself to become exhausted while flying- after all I had nothing to lose, except my life. And I wasn't too sure that that was a bad thing.

The sun had just set and it started to rain. I didn't even fight the wind which caused me to crash land in some ones back yard. My right wing bent under me, breaking easily. The next morning a man found me and carried me inside. His name was Jared, and he was second in command of the Quileute werewolf's pack.

I was out for two whole days. They found a simple note in my right hand, telling them who I was. The note read;

It was for your own good Max.

-Fang

They were all pretty cool about the whole ordeal. When I came to a girl-Kim- was the only one there. She while she was waiting Kim was eating chocolate chip cookies, which was the first thing I noticed as I opened my eyes.

When I saw those cookies everything that I had ever done to protect myself went out the window. "Can I have one?" I asked as her eyes got bigger and bigger. She handed me the whole plate, which I devoured with glee.

As I ate the girl stared at me. She handed me another plate full of cookies after the first ran out. Out of nowhere she handed me a glass of milk. I chugged it. When I sat the cup on the bedside table I looked at her, a mustache prominent on my upper lip. She burst out laughing at my expression as I realized the plate was empty.

The oven dinged, pulling me from my thoughts. Kim would be here any minuet for lunch. Not that I cooked anything myself- besides the cookies. Earlier Seth Clearwater had brought over the lasagna that his mother made. All I had to do was set it on the table and serve.

I sat the cookies on a tray too cool when the doorbell rang. I opened the door, a huge smile on my face, when I looked at the person in front of me I slammed the door in their face. I blinked at the now closed door, my heart racing and my mind blank.

**A/N SO what did you think? Good? Bad? Plz Review! Originally I did have more but my sister (the evil Mrs.EdwardCu11en) agreed that a cliffy was good. sooooo did you think it good (the cliffy)? And who is that mysterious character that got the door shoved in their face?**



**-VJC-**


	2. Of Protecting and Pregnant Bellies

A/N: I'm back

**A/N: I'm back! And I still don't own twilight OR Max Ride! **

**But I do own that one name……**

**Now what did you think of my delay? Mwahahahahaa! I could've given you two chappies at once. well almost But what would be the fun IN that? **

**Now I give you the next Chapter!!**

Chapter two  **Of Protecting and Pregnant Bellies**

_It can't be! _I thought. My head was pounding as I reached out with a shaky hand and opened the door. "Yes." My voice was too low, no normal human **could** have heard.

"MAX!" the man in front of me cried. Yes, he was surly a man now. He would be twenty-five now. For seventeen years I thought that he was dead, but now here he stood in front of me. His eyes were as big as ever and his cow lick was still apparent.

"Gazzy." I whimpered and did something that even at thirty-two surprised me. I threw my arms around him and started bawling my guts out. I kissed him on the cheek and started sobbing, "But… but. You were dead! You were supposed to be dead! Why aren't you dead?"

Some how Gazzy managed to get me to my couch without me noticing. I was still ranting when my eyes fell on a big black case that was by his side and I abruptly fell silent. Tear streaks stained my cheeks, but for now I was done crying.

"Everybody knows me as Joe Hansen now." He murmured quietly. I blinked. Gazzy wasn't quiet. He COULDN'T do anything quiet, didn't know how. Gazzy didn't even _sleep _quietly.

The fact that he changed his name didn't surprise me, people grew up and a name like Gazzy didn't fit the adult world. But even though I was not surprised at the name change, the change in Gazzy was ASTOUNDING. Somehow I had never expected him to grow up.

I mean this was _Gazzy_, the fun loving, jokester, I had mothered for the first nine years of his life. And here he was, sitting on a layz-e boy in MY house, wearing a navy blue suit and his hair all trimmed and combed out.

Even how he spoke was creepy.

"Max, are you expecting?"

"What? Expecting?" What was he getting at? Did I look that _fat_?

"Company." He sounded as if he didn't remember me being _that _thick, but was too polite to say anything. Gazzy was being polite, and it was giving me chills.

It took me a moment to remember, "Kim!" I shouted, and jumped up. But I was to late, Kim had already walked in, a confused look in her eyes. Normally I was wanting to do everything for her. Her husband, Jared, liked to joke that I would breath for her if I could.

She looked at Gazzy- new name or not I couldn't think of him as anything ells- and tried to leave. "Kim, darling." I expected Gazzy to snort, he didn't, "If you don't eat Jared will tear me, limb from limb." Kim was still staring at Gazzy. I looked over my shoulder to find him blushing and staring at Kim's _**very pregnant belly.**_

Seeing him like that made me forget where I was. In my mind we were together, Angel was only four, Fang, Iggy and I were twelve. Gazzy was six and Nudge was nine. We were collecting berries, Angel giggling at some thing Nudge said.

Fang and I were seeing who could collect more without eating them. He was winning. Out of nowhere Gazzy came up behind me, throwing his arms around me. It was meant to scare me, I think. But it had an opposite effect.

I threw him over my shoulder, causing him to land in Fangs bucket, knocking all the cherries out. I was laughing hysterically. Before I knew what was happening Fang yelled out and everyone was on top of me. Then the fingers started tickling me.

"Stop! Please, please, stop!" I cried out between breaths. That only made it worse, Fangs fingers found my most ticklish spot- right under my left wing on my shoulder blade. I screeched with laughter, pleading with them to stop.

CRASH!!

The sound made me come out of my revere. I blinked a couple of times and looked at Kim. Or at least I tried to look at Kim. Gazzy was in the way. Why was that? I was shaking my head when something caught my eye.

Mentally I slapped my forehead. While my mind was elsewhere my wings had unfurled. The left one had knocked over a vase, explaining the crash. "Gazzy, please move!" he didn't seem to hear me.

"What do you want." His voice was a low rumble, identical to the one Fang once used to get the Flock to leave us alone. The memory made me gasp and sink to the floor. His mimicking abilities were improved, that was for sure. He used to have a hard time doing Fang for some reason.

"Who. Are. You. AND. What. Did. You. Do. To. Her." She did her best to sound threatening. With her huge belly and swollen face it was a lost cause. Yet, the little I could see of her seemed to be ready for battle.

"Gazzy, please. She already knows about my wings. And yours too." That caught his attention and he turned around, blinking when he notice that I was on the floor.

"What happened to you, Max?" the Max he remembered would have never let unpleasant memories drag her to the floor. I looked at him as he kneeled beside me. There seemed to be something in his eyes, something that wasn't there ago seventeen years ago.

"I could ask you the same thing."

A/N dadadu dum! well I wasn't going to do a cliffy, BUT well I couldn't think of what should happen... so if any of you have a good idea I just might use it... and the next chappie wont be such a cliffy- I promise. so if this writers block goes away nice and fast I'll update sooner. any way the cliffy makes it more exiting(I think).

**O, do you think the characters are themselves? Plz PLZ Review!**


	3. Bosses Daughter

**A/N: Once, a long time ago, there was a dog. His name was En la Copperpants. One day as he took his daily walk he found a kite that told him, "I'll let you ride me if you tell the world something."**

**Copper asked, "What is it you want me to say?" the kite bent down and whispered something in the Aussie's ear. When the puppy heard what the kite had to say his eyes got wide, silently he nodded.**

**Up an up they went, they did not stop until the whole world would be able to hear them. On cue, Copper yelled, "I do not own Twilight or Maximum Ride!!" **

**--**

**Chapter Three: Boss's Daughter**

Fang sighed and opened the door. Gazzy had done it- he'd gotten Max's trust- but for some reason, Fang didn't feel right. Instead he felt all weird and fake. Taking a deep breath, Fang looked around.

Boss was supposed to be here. She had told him to come immediately- he had been watching Gazzy and Max- and it had taken most of his strength to fly fast enough to make it within two hours. And she was not here…of course.

He sat down, heaving a sigh. Boy, he was sore- three days in the same spot would do that to you. Suddenly, a crash came out of the south corner of the room, shortly followed by a 'woops.' Fang jerked his head around in time to see a blond-haired girl pick up a ceramic jar. Oh, please anybody but her.

"Hi, Fang." She smiled coyly, tossing her hair out of her face.

Fang suppressed a groan, "What Matilda?"

"Mother said that something came up, and she'll be an hour at least. She told me to take care of you, and make sure that you were comfortable." She batted her eyelashes.

Fang groaned inwardly, "Matilda, I doubt your mother said that." She was only thirteen and couldn't go two minutes without smiling in that ridiculous manner with him. Max had never been like that when she was thirteen. Actually Max never really flirted at all. Unless you count punching his lights out flirting, but that would have meant that she'd flirted with Ari and countless others. The thought sent a wave of jealousy and…. 'ew-ness' over him.

"She did too! She said, 'when he gets here, give him some food and make sure he rests'! And that is the SAME thing as taking care of you!"

Matilda's mimicking ability still sent shivers down his spine--her mother was an ice queen with a voice that reflected it perfectly. And, when she wanted, Matilda's did too.

"Matilda, it is not. But if you want you can get me ten cheeseburgers, three strawberry shakes, and a jumbo fry from McDonald's." Fang stressed his voice like it would be a problem.

Her green eyes got really big and she squealed, "Oh, yes!!" She ran from the room, knocking over a tropical plant on her way out.

As soon as the door shut, Fang closed his eyes and within moments he was snoring. It would be a good half hour before anyone would be back with the food, so why waste valuable sleeping time?

Fang stayed completely still as he slept, and became quite easy to overlook. Some people would call it invisible.

--

DIFF POV

I sighed and picked up my daughter. She was only two. At the moment she was wailing because Nate had pushed her down, again. Nate wasn't actually my son, but I'd found him all alone when he was four. That was a year ago and his behavior hadn't improved a bit.

Lacy had said I was too young to be having kids, whenever she'd say such a thing I'd tell her that there was a certain gal who had raised three kids when she was just a teen. Lacey always thought I was referring to a movie called Gracie's Choice. She could never have been more wrong.

The doorbell rang. Great. Just what I needed--company. Without waiting for me, the door opened and in walked Nudge. Of course now days she insisted on being called, Mealondy Dranper. Which I thought was hilarious considering she still thought herself as Nudge.

"ANGEEEL!" she sang.

"What?" I was facing a way from her, my daughter, Jace, was just falling asleep.

"Guess what I found!!"

"Do I want to know?" Nudges eyes got big and sad--I could feel them on the back of my neck.

"Well I was wondering if Mini would like it." I sighed and turned around. She was holding up a knitted multi-colored sweater.

"I'm sure Mini will love it." When the Flock was split I had gotten Total and Akila, a few years later they had puppies. Klint and Fred could only talk, one of them died soon after they were born, Taz had wings, Mini could do more than Total, and the last one- Juju- was just a normal dog. (As far as we can tell, at least).

The fourth one was the only female in the litter and Nudge (or should I say Mealody) insisted on calling here Mini- though she was the exact image of her mother. And thus, huge. She wasn't as boring as her father; actually she could be quite funny. She was technically Jace's dog, though she put up with Nudges shenanigans.

"Don't I get a say in it?" Mini's high voice broke the silence in the room.

I started to giggle when Jace started to cry again. I went upstairs to put her down; maybe she'd fall asleep. I didn't notice anything weird until I'd almost walked out of the room. Slowly I turned on my heel.

Sitting there on the windowsill was none other than Iggy. And he was smiling mischievously.

--**OC POV**

"He was here when I left!" a high-pitched voice cut through the room.

"Well he's not here now and I'm not holding this food waiting for him."

"Oh, please won't you just wait a minute." The girl whined.

"NO."

"Fine." She huffed, "Putt the food over there."

Shuffling footsteps get closer. Rustle of paper, a thunk, and the sound of feet grow distant.

A door shuts gently.

The girl thinks she's alone, tears fall down here checks. She hates it; nobody's ever nice to her if they don't have to be. The only one sometimes nice was Fang, and lately he'd been grumpy. It was all that Max's fault. If she'd be nice to Fang, he wouldn't be so grumpy.

The girl's anger at Max grew and flourished. In the coming weeks it would become hatred, and her mother's best tool. Her mother knew how to help this anger grow; she knew all the tricks to make her daughter hate more people.

She knew how to make Matilda focus on it and let it overcome her.

And she would.

**A/N Mwahahahahaa! Well technically it wasn't a cliffy. Anyway I felt like I was kinda pressing it, soo's I ended the chappie. How many ya'll hate me? hehehe. anywhoo what da think? PLZ R&R!! sooooooooooooooooooo what did you think about the disclaimer? Should I do more like that? Oh yeah and thanks to ****Godric's Honor for betaing. **

**And was it too confusing?? If more than one peoples want me to explain what in the world happened I'll posit in an authors note. I WONT SAY THOUGH WHATS GOING TO HAPPEN (that would just defeat the purpose of chapters)**


	4. Whaaat!

**-Sorry I haven't updated lately! I half promise that the next two chappies will come faster!**

**A/N: okay, okay, you caught me. Just PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW!! I'm **_**begging you! **_**It would make me HAPPY. And… and… and I'll give you a present. I'll even admit that I do not own Maximum Ride OR Twilight, if you'll just PLEASE REVIEW. Pretty please with sugar on top! (Or anything else you might want)**

**Chapter Four Whaaat!**

"When was the last time you ate?"

Iggy looked sheepish. "Well, technically it was two days ago, but I did cook something last night." He sounded like a disobedient child.

After Angel had found him coming in the window she had rushed him down stairs, and barley stopped herself from screaming with glee. Iggy was back! She hadn't seen him since before she'd ever gotten pregnant with Jace. He had gone out looking for Max never to return…until now.

When Fang had betrayed them and they had been taken away from Max, Iggy had refused to listen to Fang and his rambling about how it was the only way to _save _Max. Since when did **Max** need saving? He and Gazzy had a huge fight-- Gazzy seemed to, more or less believe Fang. When Iggy realized that the other two rather believe Fang then totally separate the Flock he made up with Gazzy. But there was still a rift between the two. And Iggy REFUSED to talk to Fang.

Angel watched Iggy as he ate- it was leftover meatloaf that Lacy had brought over that no one would eat- and felt her stomach churn at the thought of _that _going through her. "After you sleep," she was saying, "You can make a real meal."

"Werht, ca't to cook." Iggy replied through his mouthful of meaty gunk.

Angel's cheeks glowed red, of course she could. But before she could say so, Nudge (who had been unusually quiet until now) said, "If you count pancakes and sandwiches as cooking, then like, yeah she's really good. I mean she makes like, the world's best pancakes. If I could live off pancakes and syrup I'd have her make ALL my meals. There just, like, that good."

Iggy sat in silence, a bemused expression on his face. It was good to know Nudge hadn't changed in four years. Angel shot Nudge a look that said- you are so gonna die- and stuck her tongue at the bambie-eyed-twenty-nine-and-a-half year old.

Even though he _was_ blind Iggy knew what they were up to and smirked- ya gotta LOVE family.

**I POV**

_The window seemed to glitter. _But I can't see any more, thought Iggy's more rational part. _It weaved back and forth, right and left. _What was this? He didn't remember windows behaving like this.

_The window moved closer and then it wasn't a window at all. It was a short, black haired girl with pixy- like features. _Who was she?

"_Who are you?" she asked, mimicking his thoughts._

"_I…I… Ah… Who wants to know?" his words surprised her._

"_You can hear me?"_

"_And see you." The amazement in his voice seemed to throw her even farther off track._

"_What do you need?" _she was searching for something.

"_I don't know." But his mouth betrayed him and he blurted out her name, "Max."_

"_Max?" she asked._

"_My sister."_

_The dark haired girl came closer, walking as if she was dancing. She seemed to be concentrating. When she was three feet from him she stopped. "Where is she?"_

"_I don't actually know. She was fifteen when I was with her last."_

_There was a slight twitch in his back. Iggy hated it when his wings itched, especially in dreams. Slowly, almost as if he was wary of this dream creation, he unfolded his wings, giving them a great shake to get rid of the itch._

_When he looked back at this pixy-like dream girl she was staring open-mouthed at his wings. She swallowed, shook her head and blinked a couple times. "Are those real?"_

"_Uh, yeah."_

"_Does Max have them too?"_

_He looked down at his wings. It was the first time in years that he had seen them. They were brown with a ting of black and a white stripe near the tips. It surprised him that he remembered them so well, and now they were even bigger._

"_Yes." He finally answered her. "We All have them."_

"_There's more of you!"_

Well as long as this was a dream. _"Yes, but they don't look like me or anything."_

_She gave him an odd look. _

_Iggy looked in a mirror that had appeared as suddenly as his dream girl. He was his sixteen year old self again. He still needed to shave, but it was just fluff. His hair was shaggy and redder than it had been when he was younger._

_As he was starring at himself another head appeared in the mirror, it was the pixie dream girl. She was weirded out- he could tell by her breathing. And to tell the truth he was too. He looked behind him and then they were nose to nose._

His breath quickened. _She smelled good. Really good._

_He looked at her eyes and realized they were black, yet he was positive that they hadn't been like that before. Try as he might though, he could not remember what color they had been._

_The girl seemed worried and a bit scared as she pulled back. Almost dancing way from him. She seemed to be arguing with herself. _

_The girl looked at him again, "What are you."_

_It was the question he had been waiting for. He was about to answer when unexpectedly he was pulled from the dream._

When he blinked he was staring into the darkness that surrounded him once again.

"Iggy?"

"Huh."

"You really did look like that when you were sixteen."

"You were in my dream. You were watching." His anger was bubbling just beneath the surface.

"Believe me, Ig, _that_ was the last place I wanted to be. I couldn't pull myself out. I had no control over it and that hasn't happened since, well since before Fang was brainwashed."

Iggy tried to hide his surprise that Angel thought that Fang had been brainwashed. She had been determined to stay with him. Determined not to break the Flock up any farther.

"Angel." He had momentarily forgotten about his dream.

"He thinks that this 'Boss' lady will save Max from death. What he doesn't know is that betraying Max was just as good as killing her. She won't ever trust him again. And after she finds out about Gazzy, she won't trust anyone again. I mean… you know how she works… if she finds out about Gazzy then well-." She faulterd.

"Gazzy?" his on worded question caught Angel off guard.

"You've been gone too long Ig."

--

MWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHALHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HA

: ) Ha Ha Ha : p

**: o**

**A/N: WELL, WHAT DO YA THINK? If you review I will most diffidently give you a preasent of your choice. Hmmm. So who wants to get back to Fang? Any one at all? Or maybe you want to have another chappie of Max… Oh, before I forget again the chappie title was for the reader. Probably it doesn't have much to do with the chappie but well or else it wouldn't be for the reader now would it.**

**Oh and for Iggy's wings this is the best pic I found: **

(no spaces)

www. iowa voice . com /2007/04/22/killdeer-in-flight/


	5. WHAT DOES IT TAKE!

**(WARNING: CHAPTER IS CONFUSING)**

**A/N soo if you thought the last chappie was confusing…. Just wait till you read this. (Disclaimer comes later) I am sorry for taking so long, hadn't even realized where I left off 'cuzz I know Everything, just not what readers do. So sorry and here is the fate full fifth chappie **

**Chapter Five ** **WHAT DOES IT TAKE!!**

Joe had been with Max for three days.

I was ready to tear his throat out. No matter what I told her, Max would not believe me- Joe had not come here by accident. He did not sell cars. Besides whoever heard of a door-to-door car sales guy? I never had.

My family- the Pack- had nursed her back to health; we hid her wings from the world. We gave her shelter. And now she won't listen. The thought made me shake.

_Calm. Stay calm._

It does not help. I shake harder and harder. The familiar red haze slips in front of my eyes.

I know what I saw; it makes me so mad that no one believes me.

_Stay calm._

But I can't. Not anymore.

Hurriedly I kick off my shoes. I don't have time for anything else.

I explode. Everything around me changes. I change. My head pounds, voices, thoughts, voices surround me. I am unable to concentrate. The whirlwind in my mind, it grabs at me not wanting to let go.

This shouldn't be happening. It hasn't happened since that first time. The pack is bigger now, but still- this is ridiculous. I shake my head back and forth. Gathering my strength I stand and take off into the forest.

Sam will be waiting my return, but he doesn't realize just where I'm going.

I know what I saw. Max had told us enough that I knew of his ability. I was going to find the traitor. He's been watching her... He knows where she is. I will bring him back here.

The image of him up in that tree flashed though my head. I want to hate this traitor. But I can't.

As he looked in the window at Max the traitor was crying.

**A/N Ahh the blissful ending of my (so far) nameless chappie. So what do ya'll think of a grown up fang crying?? (Of course it was Fang for those of you who might be more **

**confused than others) now can anyone guess who this wolfy is? (HINT: IT IS SOME ONE YOU KNOW, BUT NOT that WELL.) **

**Sooooo can anyone say 'short chappie'(it had a word total of 298 just counting the actual chappie and nothing else)!! And just so you know… no I am soooo not sorry!!**

**(This sort-of actually happened) once my sister stuck candy up her nose. She was like six or seven and I think our older brother might have dared her. She got at least four pieces up her right nostril. My dad and I had to take her to a special doctor to take it out. But be for the doctor would he made her say- "I do not own Twilight or Maximum Ride!!" **

**(Actually he did make her say something at one point but I don't remember what) (and anyway neither of those books had been written yet)**

**Man, my sis is going to be one mad girl after she reads this…. Oops.**

**Thanx to ****Godric's Honor**** for betaing!!**

**(****IMPORTANT!! ; BY THE END OF THIS WEEK I WILL HAVE DELETED ALL OF MY AUTHOR NOTES THAT DON'T HAVE CHAPTERS WITH THEM. ****_SO _****THE NUMBER OF CHAPTERS WILL CHANGE AND I DON'T WANT TO CONFUSE ANY ONE!)**


	6. When Leah throws lemons, throw 'em back

**A/N well (grudgingly) I am going to tell you. But you are going to have to figure **_**what**_** out for yourself. hehe ^_^**

**HUMM… disclaimer, disclaimer, what should I do? OH I know!**

**She looked in the mirror, and feared what she saw.**

**Her enemy was there in front of her.**

**The voice in her head told her to understand her enemies.**

**She was scared and ashamed.**

**What was happening?**

**But then one day, The Voice in her head told her a secret- I do not own you, Maximum Ride, and neither do I own the Twilight that fills the sky. **

**Chapter Six ****When Leah throws lemons, throw 'em right back at her and hit her nose**

**Max pov **

Gazzy was asleep in the extra bed room. I had actually been watching him until I heard somebody come in. She was sitting in the armchair that Gazzy had occupied hours earlier.

"Leah."

"Max."

"What do you want, Leah?"

"He's not the kid you knew. Joe's being here is no accident. Max, he's dangerous."

My eyes narrowed at the werewolf. _Not the kid I remembered. Not the kid I remembered. Not the kid I remembered. Not the kid I remembered._ I would not admit this, least of all to Leah, but I knew he wasn't the same person. Not even close.

_He jumped when I talked. He was always staring out the window. Agitated. When I asked him about Angel, Gazzy evaded the subject. The_ one_ time I asked about Fang he got really fidgety and couldn't say anythin_g.

_Gazzy wouldn't even look me in the eye. I, of course, assumed the worst. "He's" I swallowed around the building lump in my throat. He couldn't be. I mean, yes I _HATED_ him now, but I never, in a million years, imaged him, "dead."_

_He finally looked me in the eye, and cracked up. "Fang," he choked out. "Can't" the twenty-five year old slid out of his chair. "Die!" he cackled, rolling on the floor and holding his sides as if in pain. Gazzy's face turned purple, I wondered if he was going to blow. _

_All of the sudden he stood up, brushed himself off, and looked more serious then I had seen him so far. I hadn't thought he could have gotten more serious. He picked up his case and walked to the kitchen._

"Max!" Leah's sharp tone cut through my reverie. I'd forgotten she was there.

"What." I was annoyed- she had no right to say anything against Gazzy.

"Weren't you listening!"

"To what your annoying voice? Thanks but I rather eat kibble."

That wasn't a smart thing to say. Leah started to get mad, shaking mad. Oops.

"Max." her voice was deadly calm, which meant she was beyond mad. Let me put it this way- I was surprised that I wasn't hosting a wolf in my living room. "I saw _him_. In a tree, watching you."

"What? Why would I care if Gazzy was up in a tree!"

Leah sighed a huge sigh that said, _NO! You idiot! _"Not Joe. Joe was _talking _to him." Gazzy didn't like ANYONE calling him 'Gazzy' or 'the Gasman'- not even me- anymore. I could tell it bugged him I didn't go by that rule, though.

"Just tell me who already." I almost growled.

She smiled at me. It was the saddest, most petrifying smile I had ever seen her give. It was also the warmest. The one word she said next threw me, "Fang."

I slapped her.

She looked at me in surprise. Today she had shown more emotion around me then in the seventeen years I knew her. "Get out." my voice was low and menacing. She obeyed me, for once, and walked out the front door.

Before she slammed the door, Leah said coldly, "You will believe me soon enough, Maximum. Fang was up in that tree, and _Gazzy_ was talking to him." She put venom in his name.

She was gone before I could even process what she said. I knew Leah well enough to know that she wasn't concerned for me- she was concerned what could happen to her Pack if Fang arrived. Shaking my head I went up to my room, and jumped out the window.

It had been I while since I flew. And man did it feel good.

**A/N Sooooo, what did you think? Good? Bad? I do realize it has a little time lap from the previous chappie, but I think it's the best way to go. Hope you people weren't too confused.**

**Well, Review!**


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